120m² Cemfloor Liquid Screed Installation in Bristol

Bristol – new-build home

120m² of Cemfloor cement-based liquid screed, 9.5m³ at an average depth of approximately 80mm

Underfloor heating throughout, nine rooms screeded in one working day

Webster SRS recently completed a liquid screed installation at a new-build home in Bristol. The floor covered approximately 120m² across nine rooms, all with underfloor heating. Our three-person team pumped 9.5m³ of Cemfloor cement-based liquid screed in one working day, at an average depth of around 80mm.

The homeowner had originally planned to have a traditional sand and cement screed laid throughout the property. When we talked the job through, it turned out they hadn’t come across liquid screed before, so we explained how the two methods differ, particularly over underfloor heating.

Because Cemfloor is poured rather than compacted by hand, it flows around the heating pipes and fully encapsulates them, reducing the air gaps that can be left around pipework. That close contact, together with the thermal properties of the screed, helps heat transfer from the pipes into the floor.

There were practical points too. A liquid floor screed is pumped into place, so larger areas can be covered efficiently, with less labour and in less time than a traditional screed. There is no need to hand-trowel the whole floor, and it leaves a smooth, level surface for the floor finishes that follow.

Traditional screed still has its place and liquid screed isn’t the right answer on every job. For this house, with heating pipes in every room, the homeowner decided Cemfloor was the better solution. There is more detail on how we work on our liquid screed installation page.

• Location: Bristol
• Property: new-build home
• Floor area: approximately 120m² across nine rooms
• Screed: Cemfloor cement-based liquid screed
• Volume: approximately 9.5m³
• Average depth: approximately 80mm
• Underfloor heating: throughout
• Pump: Putzmeister SP11
• Team and duration: three operatives, one working day

Before we arrived, the homeowner arranged for the floor to be prepared following the Webster SRS liquid screed preparation guide, and it had been completed to an excellent standard. The membrane, perimeter edging and underfloor heating pipework were all correctly installed, and the plumbers had pressure-tested the heating system before screeding started.

Correct preparation is a large part of a successful installation. Liquid screed is fluid when it goes down, so the membrane and edging have to contain it properly, and the heating system needs to be confirmed sound before it is covered. With all of that already in place, we could get straight on with setting our levels.

Using laser levelling equipment and adjustable screed tripods, we established the required finished floor levels throughout the property.

Approximately 9.5m³ of Cemfloor was delivered to site and pumped into the house using our Putzmeister SP11 screed pump. We distributed the screed through all nine rooms, bringing it up to level and making sure the underfloor heating pipework was fully covered.

Once the required levels had been reached, the screed was dappled to help with levelling and finishing. The average depth across the floor was approximately 80mm, and with three of us on site the full 120m² was poured in a single working day.

The completed installation gave the property a smooth, level screeded floor across all nine rooms, with the heating pipes fully encapsulated. It is a good example of why liquid screed for new builds works well where underfloor heating runs through the whole house.

The floor is now ready for its curing and drying period before the floor finishes go down. Our guide to how long liquid screed takes to dry explains what to expect at that stage. For another underfloor heating job, see our liquid floor screeding project in Nailsea.

We went back once the screed was dry enough to walk on to see how it had turned out. The photos below show the finished Cemfloor screed through the open-plan living area, the hallway and the bedrooms – a smooth, flat surface right up to the edge strip, ready for the next trades.

Planning a new build, extension or renovation in Bristol? Webster SRS provides professional Cemfloor liquid screed installations for homeowners, builders and developers throughout Bristol and North Somerset. Contact us today to discuss your project and request a quotation.